insects

noun

plural of insect
as in shrimp
a person of no importance or influence the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insects Pests and Disease Aphids and other sap-sucking insects can drain crepe myrtle sap and spread sooty mold, while leaf spot is a fungal issue that can weaken plants, impair blooming, and leave unsightly splotches on plant leaves. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026 In general, for flying insects, greater size equals faster top speeds. — Rachel Sargent Mirus, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026 Cyborg insects use the creature’s own muscles to move, so such hybrids consume less power than small artificial robots used for similar purposes. — ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 Novack is all about the smells and the birds and insects the plants have recruited to visit the garden. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Beyond reptiles, several states face risks from insects and other venomous creatures. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 These tiny insects lay their eggs in small puddles of standing water indoors and out. — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 Wasps feed on spiders, aphids, and other insects to provide protein for their young, so clean any webs off your house and porch, and manage any pest infestations that could attract wasps. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026 The Parks and Rec Natural Resources Division had a goal to produce a food plot for wildlife animals; Missouri’s birds, insects, deer, squirrels, quail, raccoons and more. — Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
  1. shrimp
  2. ciphers
  3. lightweights
  4. nobodies
  5. dwarfs
Noun
  • Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
    — Janelle Davis, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Definition of shrimp
Noun
  • Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of ciphers
Noun
  • Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
    — Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of lightweights
Noun
  • Yvonne and Nick’s disastrous wedding dinner is the day the cast went from nobodies to actual practitioners of the reality-television arts and sciences.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobodies
Noun
  • This is why a major question in the field is whether or not rocky planet atmospheres can even survive at all around M dwarfs.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • And the question is whether the planets even have atmospheres, because M dwarfs are quite active.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of dwarfs

Browse Nearby Words

insectivores
insects
insecure
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on insects

Nglish: Translation of insects for Spanish Speakers

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